506 



BOMBACE^E. I. HELICTERES. 



diameter of 25 feet, although the height is not great, at most 20 

 or 30 feet high, and specimens of Bombax celba, Eriodendron 

 anfractuosum and Guineensis, and other species are not uncom- 

 mon above 100 feet in height. The wood of all the plants con- 

 tained in this order is soft and light, as in Malvaceae, from which 

 this order probably does not differ in its medical properties. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



1 HELI'CTERES. Calyx tubular, 5-cleft. Stamens 5 to 15, 

 monadelphous, but multifid at the apex. Ovary stipitate. Styles 

 5, joined at the base. Carpels 5, 1-celled, many-seeded, twisted 

 or straight. Leaves simple. 



2 MYRO'DIA. Calyx tubular, 4-5-toothed, bursting laterally. 

 Column of stamens long. Anthers 10-15. Capsule drupace- 

 ous, 2-3-celled ; cells 1 -seeded. Leaves simple. 



3 PLAGIA'NTHUS. Calyx 5-cleft. Petals 5, 2 of which are 

 approximate, remote from the rest. Stigma clavate. Berry ? 

 Leaves simple. 



4 MATI'SIA. Calyx irregularly 2-5-toothed, bursting. Co- 

 lumn of stamens cleft into 5 at die apex, each division contain- 

 ing 12 anthers, all on the outer side. Drupe ovate, 5-celled ; 

 cells 1 -seeded. Leaves simple. 



5 POURRE'TIA. Calyx 5-parted, campanulate. Column of 

 stamens 5-cleft at the apex. Capsule coriaceous, membra- 

 nous, 5-winged, 1-celled, indehiscent, cell 1 -seeded. Leaves 

 entire. 



6 MONTEZU'MA. Calyx hemispherical, truncate, sinuately- 

 toothed. Stamens numerous, twisted around the style, mona- 

 delphous, with 5 distinct furrows. Capsule globose, 4-5-celled ; 

 cells many-seeded. Leaves entire. 



7 OPHE'LDS. Calyx 5-cleft ; lobes acute, reflexed. Stamens 

 numerous, joined into a tube at the base, somewhat reflexed at 

 the apex. Stigma multifid. Capsule woody, oblong-ovate, 12- 

 celled, many-seeded. Leaves entire. 



8 ADANSO'NIA. Calyx 5-parted, deciduous. Urceolus of the 

 stamens dilated and expanded at the apex. Stigmas numerous. 

 Capsule woody, indehiscent, 1 0-celled, many-seeded, full of fari- 

 naceous pulp. Leaves compound. 



9 CAROLI'NEA. Calyx tubular, somewhat truncate, perma- 

 nent. Petals very long. Stamens monadelphous at the base, but 

 divided into many 12-24-anthered bundles at the top. Stigmas 

 5. Capsule woody, many-valved, 1-celled, many-seeded. Seeds 

 enveloped in aril. Leaves compound, (f. 86.). 



10 BO'MBAX. Calyx subquinquefid or truncate. Petals con- 

 nected together, and with the staminiferous column at the base. 

 Stamens numerous, sometimes purely monadelphous, sometimes 

 divided into 5 bundles at the apex ; filaments free. Capsule 

 large and long, 5-celled, 5-valved ; cells many-seeded. Seeds 

 albuminous, enwrapped in wool. Leaves compound. 



11 ERIODE'KDRON. Calyx obtusely 5-lobed. Petals con- 

 nected together, and with the staminiferous column at the base. 

 Stamens numerous, connected at the base in a short column, but 

 divided into 5 bundles at the apex ; bundles connected to the 

 top, filiform, each bearing 2 or 3 anthers at the apex, linear or 

 anfractuous, appearing like 1 anther. Leaves compound. 



12 CHORI'SIA. Calyx campanulate, 2-5-lobed, furnished 

 with 3 permanent bracteas at the base. Petals long. Tube of 

 stamens double, the interior one slender, round, bearing 10 twin 

 anthers, outer one short, 10-lobed, sterile, adnate to the interior 

 above the base. Ovary sessile, ovate, 5-celled. Capsule 5- 

 valved, 1-celled, many-seeded. Leaves compound. 



13 DU'RIO. Calyx obtusely 5-lobed, girded by a 2-lobed 

 involucel (f. 87. a. 6.). Petals connected at the base. Stamens 

 numerous, pentadelphous. Anthers anfractuous (f. 87. d.). 

 Stigma simple. Fruit large, round, muricated (f. 87. g.), 5-celled 

 (f. 87. k.) ; cells 4-5-seeded, pulpy inside. Leaves simple. 



14 OCHRO'MA. Calyx funnel-shaped, hardly 5-cleft, 3 round- 

 ish, and 2 acutish. Anthers anfractuous. Stigmas 5. Capsule 

 long, clothed on the inside with silky wool. Seeds oblong. 

 Leaves lobed. 



15 CHEIROSTE'MON. Calyx campanulate, 5-parted, decidu- 

 ous, with 3 bracteas at the base. Petals none. Column of sta- 

 mens 5-cleft at the apex, bearing 2 linear anthers on the back of 

 each lobe. Capsule oblong, 5 -angled, 5-valved ; valves with a 

 hairy dissepiment in the middle of each. Seeds carunculate, 

 15-18 in each cell. Albumen fleshy. Leaves lobed. 



I. HELI'CTERES (from !\< helix, a screw ; carpels twisted 

 together in a spiral manner). Lin. gen. no. 1024. D. C. prod. 

 1. p. 474.). 



LIN. SYST. Monadelphia, Penta-Decandria. Calyx tubular, 

 somewhat 5-toothed. Petals 5, ligulate, unguiculate, a little 

 toothed at the apex. Stamens 5-10-15, monadelphous, with 

 the urceolus multifid at the apex, intermixed with sterile hairs. 

 Ovary on a long stalk. Styles 5, joined at the base. Carpels 

 5, 1-celled, many-seeded, opening on the inside, generally regu- 

 larly twisted together screw-wise, seldom straight. Seeds with- 

 out albumen. Cotyledons spirally convolute. Shrubs and 

 trees, usually clothed with stellate tomentum, with simple, un- 

 equally-cordate leaves and few-flowered axillary peduncles. 



SECT. I. SPIROCARP V A (from airupa, speira, a spire, and 

 Kapiros, karpos, a fruit ; in allusion to the carpels being twisted 

 together in a spiral manner). D. C. prod. 1. p. 475. Carpels 

 twisted together, constituting a spiral, 5-furrowed, oblong, or 

 ovate fruit. 



1 H.ISORA (Lin. spec. 1366.) leaves cordate, ovate, serrate- 

 toothed, acuminate, scabrous, tomentose beneath ; flowers axil- 

 lary, decandrous ; fruit cylindrical, somewhat velvety, awl- 

 shaped at the apex. Tj . S. Native of Malabar and the 

 Moluccas. Sims, bot. mag. t. 2681. Pluk. aim. t. 245. f. 2. 



Rump. amb. 7. t. 17. f. 1 Rheed. mal. 6. p. 55. t. 30. H. 



Jamaic6nsis, Lam. diet. 3. p. 87. Leaves like those of the 

 Hazel. Petals obovate, yellow. This plant is called Isora-murri. 

 by the inhabitants of Malabar. 



Isora Screw-tree. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1733. Shrub 12 ft. 



2 H. ROXBU'ROHII ; leaves broad, obovate-roundish, acumin- 

 ated, toothed, tomentose beneath as well as the branches ; pedi- 

 cels 2-3 together, short, axillary ; petals reflexed. Tj . S. 

 Native of the East Indies. H. Isora, Roxb. but not of Lin. 

 Flowers red. Peduncles twin, very short, bearing 2-3 pedicels. 



Roxburgh's Screw-tree. Shrub 6 feet. 



3 H. ovA'iA(Lam. St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 273.) decandrous; 

 leaves ovate or subcordate, with a short acumen, biserrate- 

 toothed, dotted above from stellate down, but covered with 



